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Consumer Alerts
Learn more about the latest consumer advice and scams — and what you can do to protect yourself.
One thing that comes with being in the military is almost constant change — new cities, new homes, new friends — and new cars. As part of Military Consumer Month, if you’re thinking about buying a new
July is Disability Pride Month — a time to celebrate the proud identities, contributions, and culture of 40.8 million people with disabilities in the U.S. It’s when we recognize how the Americans with
If you got a call from ICE, you’re not alone. (And, for the record, it wasn’t them.) Scammers are pretending to be from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and US Citizenship and Immigration
Sometimes good gizmos go bad. If the gizmo — whether a motor vehicle, home appliance, or other consumer product — is under warranty, you may want to bring it to the dealer for repair. Or, you may
Refunds are still available to people who were tricked into wiring money to scammers through Western Union between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017. In fact, the deadline to file a claim has been
American servicemembers sacrifice so much to honorably defend the nation. But dishonorable scammers make it their mission to con servicemembers out of their hard-earned money and benefits by
Widespread drought, rising prices, and feed shortages in the Great Plains and West have created a fertile field for cattle feed scammers to take advantage of ranchers working to protect their
Scammers want payments that are quick, anonymous, and tough to reverse. In other words, scammers are asking for wire transfers. That’s why money transfer businesses like Walmart need to warn people
For small businesses trying to stay afloat during the pandemic, a company that sold grant-writing services seemed to offer a lifeline. In a lawsuit, the FTC and State of Florida say the company
July is Military Consumer Month. Whether you’re a new recruit, a servicemember PCS’ing with your family, or a soon-to-be veteran, the FTC wants to share some ways to steer clear of rip-offs and
Over the past ten years, the FTC has brought more than 50 auto-related law enforcement actions. Despite these actions, deceptive advertising and unlawful add-on sales continue to cause people to spend
Scammers are using the names of well-known employers to post job openings that don’t exist. The purpose? Tricking you into sending them personal information or money upfront to get the job. The phony
Last year, the FTC got almost a million reports about impersonation scammers — fake government agents, pretend grandkids, bogus sweethearts, and others who took almost $2.3 billion from people across
If the cryptocurrency craze feels like a tempting way to make money, or you think you’re missing out, read on. Because, according to the FTC’s new data spotlight, scammers are banking on what you don
Has the U.S. Border Patrol called you? No, they haven’t. But a scammer might have. In fact, scammers often pretend to be from government agencies to trick you into sending them money or sharing
If your credit score is low, a promise of a fix that can help you quickly get the money-saving benefits a high credit score brings can be appealing. And, if the company offering the fix also says you
Twitter introduced the world to the concept of communicating in short tweets. But the FTC says that doesn’t mean taking shortcuts with people’s privacy. Today, the FTC announced that Twitter must pay
Threats from hurricanes don’t come just from wind and rain, storm surges, flooding and rip currents, or tornadoes and landslides. Hurricane-related threats also come in the form of scammers who use
When people encounter scams or bad business practices, they report them to the FTC . And what we’ve learned is interesting. Young adults report losing money to scammers more often than older people d
Peder Magee and James Trilling, Senior Attorneys, FTC
Whether in class or at home, kids are probably using technology to do their schoolwork. But have you ever wondered what information that technology is gathering from your kid? The FTC has, and today